


That Time Hercules Avoided Everyone For A Month

by Semoka



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Not really though, Self-Harm, Unrequited Love, most likely
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-16
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-06-02 15:30:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6571642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Semoka/pseuds/Semoka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hercules Mulligan is in love with his best friend, and that's fine. He's good at hiding it.</p><p>At least, he was. Until he fucked up and made his best friend hate him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hercules Fucks Up

It all started at a Schuyler sleepover, where the whole squad was hanging out and watching movies for the night. Thomas and Alexander were arguing over whiskey verse liquor, Burr and Madison were watching their boyfriend’s while talking, ready to step in if they took it too far, the Schuyler sisters were choosing between Mulan or Tangled by the TV, and John was making Peggy a spiked drink because her sisters wouldn’t let her have any and he’s a good samaritan. All in all, everyone was having a good time. 

Hercules Mulligan stopped having a good time, however, when Lafayette walked in with their girlfriend. 

Lafayette had always been a very affectionate person. Everyone in their friend group had been asked at least once if they were dating the french student, and the answer was always no. That was until Adrienne and Lafayette started dating. 

Adrienne was a pleasant french girl that Lafayette knew from childhood who decided to come join Lafayette in America. She was everything that Hercules wanted to be for Lafayette. Caring. Sensitive. She had a smile that could light up a room. Compared to Hercules’s gruffness and large build, she was perfect for someone like Lafayette. 

Hercules waved at them as they entered, feeling his chest tighten as Lafayette kissed her cheek before greeting everyone. He hid his sour feelings behind a laugh when Lafayette hugged him, holding a little tighter than a best friend should. 

That was the worst part. Being best friends. That meant Hercules was the one who got the late night text of Lafayette romancing how beautiful Adrienne looked. That meant Hercules was the one who coached Lafayette through asking Adrienne out and forced a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes when Lafayette told him the good news about her accepting. That meant Hercules got to have his heart crumble into pieces while he helped his best friend arrange dates and what they should wear and reassure them that she would love them no matter if he wore the blue jacket or the navy one. 

He didn’t notice he had spaced out until Lafayette was pulling out of his arms. “Are you alright, mon ami?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine, Laf.” He internally winced at the way his voice sounded shaky. “Go sit with your girl so we can start the movie.” He pushed a suspicious Lafayette away with a smile. After everyone settled down into their seats and Eliza won the rights to put on Tangled, the movie was started. Flynn Rider started narrating the opening and everyone agreed to take a shot of vodka every time Flynn and a frying pan were on the screen at the same time. 

Hercules only managed to successfully keep his eyes on the movie through Mother Knows Best. His attention was drawn to Lafayette and Adrienne, and he quickly regretted it. Adrienne was in Lafayette’s lap, head leaned against their shoulder. They were whispering into her ear, kissing her neck, and causing her to quietly giggle and push their head away. It wasn’t until Adrienne turned to kiss them that Hercules couldn’t take it anymore. He quickly fled to the kitchen, whispering some excuse about being hungry to John when he shot him a concerned look. 

In the kitchen, Hercules shut his eyes tightly and gripped the edge of the counter like it was his lifeline. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take…” He whispered to the empty room. He felt his eyes stinging and let go of the counter with one hand to rub away tears threatening to fall. Hercules Mulligan did not cry, especially over something like not being liked back. 

 

“I don’t appreciate being lied too, Hercules.” 

Hercules let out a curse at a sudden french accent in the room and turned around quickly to face Lafayette. “What’re you talking about?” He asked, managing to keep his voice steady. 

“You told me you were fine when you are obviously not.” Lafayette looked so worried, it made Hercules want to just hold them close and let them comfort him. They wouldn’t want to if they knew why he was so upset.

“Sorry, Laf...it’s just not something I can tell you about.” The ‘because I’m afraid you’ll hate me’ was left unsaid. Hercules moved to try to leave the kitchen but was stopped by Lafayette grabbing his arm.

“Nothing is too much for me, mon ami. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I want to help you.” Lafayette’s voice was calm and smooth as always. Hercules looked at them and saw the pain in their eyes. 

“I can’t tell you. I can’t.” Hercules turned his head away, sighing in defeat. “I can’t.” 

“Yes, you can.” Lafayette urged. “Why won’t you trust me?” They put a hand on Hercule’s cheek, tilting his head to face him. They locked eyes with him, and Hercules’s mind went blank. He was drowning in Lafayette’s gaze, the passion in his eyes. The fire there. The raw emotion and trust that Lafayette conveyed with a look. 

Before he knew what he was doing, Hercules leaned in and kissed his best friend. The kiss was chaste, nothing more than a quick press of lips. Lafayette tensed, and that was all Hercules needed to come back to his senses. He pulled away like it burned, stumbling a few steps backward. 

Laf was staring at him in a mixture of shock and something Hercules took as disgust. They had their mouth covered with wide eyes. Hercules struggled to say something. 

“I’m sorry.” Is all he stuttered out, before darting past them and out of the kitchen. He thought he heard them yell out his name, and ran down the hallway back to the living room. He was met with the confused looks from his friends. He ignored all of their concerned questions as he left as fast as he could. 

 

It wasn’t until he was halfway back to campus on his motorcycle that he realized he was crying. 

It wasn’t until he was laying in bed in his dorm room, staring at the wall in the darkness, that he realized he just lost everything.


	2. Hercules runs away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Aaron tries to console Hercules and find out what happened and ends up making everything worse on accident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicating this chapter to Fluffy Magpies, thepenguinrun, nyoooooooom, and how the sausage gets made for commenting and making me cry in class cause I felt so happy. Thank these people for a next day update. 
> 
>  
> 
> Sorry it's so short, but I wrote this quickly to get it out for all the people who left kudos and comments. Love y'all <3 ^w^
> 
> EDIT: Thank you so much to Huffleclaw_Hamilfan for correcting the pronouns :D

Hercules wakes up to the sound of his alarm, Evanescence blasting near his head. When he doesn’t immediately move to shut it off, Aaron throws a pillow at his head. He grabs his phone and swipes to shut off the alarm. He sees he has missed calls from several friends and double the amount of unread text messages. He sighed, sitting up and unlocking it. 

“They were all worried about you, you know. I left early just to let them know you got home safe.” Aaron says, seeming to know why Hercules was so troubled. “We asked Lafayette to go first, figuring you’d be most comfortable with them.” Hercules tensed when he heard Lafayette’s name, knowing what Aaron would say next. It surprised him when the junior got up and sat next in front of him on the bed. “They refused pretty fast, said you two got in an argument. I don't quite believe that, so do you wanna tell me what really happened?”

Hercules stared at his phone, the screen going dark when he didn't touch it. He felt his eyes stinging again and shut them. “I kissed him.” He mumbles quietly. Judging by Aaron’s silence, he knew how bad that was. “They were disgusted, I panicked and left.” He braced himself for the pity, for the patronizing. 

“Well, I won’t say you’re not an idiot because you are, but not for the reasons you think.” When Hercules looked at him, Aaron had his arms crossed and a bitchface in place. “They  
might have been upset, shocked, maybe a little confused. Not disgusted.” 

“I saw the look they gave me, Burr. You weren't there.” Hercules snapped. He got off the bed, going over to the closet on his side of the room to get clothing. 

“But I saw them afterwards. They looked like they were more confused than anything, and hurt.” Aaron stayed seated on Hercules’ bed, looking away from the other college student while he got changed. “Adrienne tried to comfort them, but they just pulled away.”

Hercules froze halfway through pulling his shirt on. After a minute, he shook his head and finished getting dressed. “I'm going to work.” He announced, trying to get Aaron to leave him alone. When the junior didn’t say anything, he grabbed his jacket and keys then left. 

He got on his motorcycle, pulling on his helmet. He sat there for a second, staring at his phone. He decided to ignore the messages from his friends, noting that Lafayette had only tried calling once, sending only one text as well. He scrolled through his contacts for a few minutes, finding the one he wanted and hitting call.

“Hey, Mom. Yeah, I’m fine, school’s fine...can I come home for a little while?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short!! I wrote it quickly in school when I had a free period. I saw four comments and started crying I felt so loved.


	3. Hercules Consults Mommigan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hercules and his mom have a late night chat, and tea is almost burned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter dedicated to Laramidian_Phantoms for giving me the Mommigan thing, and to lafayettes_baguette because i've read almost everything they've written and i cried when i saw their comment
> 
> THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO COMMENTED BECAUSE YOU MAKE MY WORLD GO ROUND <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

_ “What the hell was that?!”  _

 

_ “I...I’m…” _

 

_ “...you like me, don't you? Oh god, and you thought I liked you? Ha!” _

 

_ “Laf, please…” _

 

_ “Get the fuck away from me, Mulligan.” _

 

_ “...sorry.” _

 

_ “Damn right you’re sorry. I can't believe you tho-” _

 

Hercules startled awake, sitting up so fast that he startled his mother, Sarah, and almost made her drop her glass. He tucked his legs up to his chest so she could sit on the other side of the couch, taking a moment to just breath.

 

“Honey, are you okay?” Sarah asked, resting a hand on his knee. “You’ve two days and you still haven’t told me what’s wrong. I was waiting, but after that nightmare, I don’t think I can anymore.” He considered giving the same answer he gave his brothers when questioned. A smile and resurface he was fine. Except he wasn’t fine, and he knew he couldn’t lie to his mom.

 

“Do you remember Lafayette?” He asks, instead of answering her question. 

 

“Your best friend since last year? No, I obviously have no idea who you’re talking about.” She scoffs, before turning serious again. “Are they okay? Did they do something?” She squints at her son. “Did you do something?” 

 

Hercules looked at his knees, sighing. “The last one, Ma.”     
  
“Oh, my boy....what’d you do?” Sarah flattens her legs and Hercules shifts to place his head down in her lap, calves hanging off the arm of the couch. 

 

“I kissed them.” He mumbled, hiding his face with his hands. “I kissed them and now they hates me and I don’t know what to do. That’s why I came home.” She sighs, gently patting his head in reassurance.

 

“I know you know Lafayette more than me, but even I know that they wouldn’t hate you over something as stupid as you catching feelings for them.” She taps his cheek gently and he opens his eyes to see her smiling face. “They might have been a little confused at them time, but they definitely don’t hate you.”    
  
“That’s what Aaron said too,” Hercules grumbled back. “but I’m not so sure, they seemed pretty mad.”    
  
“Would I lie to you, sweetheart?” Sarah asks. Her eyes crinkled around the edges even with her smile soft and caring. It reminded Hercules of how old his mother was getting, and made him lean up and kiss her cheek.   
  
“No, Ma, I know you wouldn’t.” He smiles back at her, and they share a small laugh after a minute of staring.    
  


The laughter is broken by a high-pitched whistle, and Sarah pushes Hercules to sit up so she could get up. “The tea!” She yells, standing up as soon as possible, which took a minute due to Hercules’s laughing. 

 

As she left the room, Hercules could have sworn he heard his phone ringing. Checking that his mom was busy with tea, he reached under the cushion and pulled it out. He almost dropped it in shock. He was frozen, staring at the contact name. The ringing eventually stopped and the contact name disappeared. 

 

_ 1 missed call from Laf<3 _

 

He buries his phone back under the couch cushion and goes to get some tea. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahaaaaaaaaaa anyone who guesses why he's hiding his phone gets a cookie. Anyone who gets it right gets the next chapter dedicated to them!!


	4. Hercules Has A Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What make you think I’m going to do anything you say, Jefferson?” Hercules responds, barely keeping the sarcasm from slipping into his tone. Thomas looks unimpressed and Hercules really wants to punch him. 
> 
> “Because I’m saving your sorry ass from wallowing in self-pity out of the kindness of my heart, that’s why. Now drink up and shut up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -winces- soooo i haven't updated in a month....oops?
> 
> I really have no excuse besides trying to figure out where I want to go with this story, so I hope you enjoy this chapter!! 
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to Theyfillwithfire who got the closest guess to why Hercules is hiding his phone! It's not revealed in this chapter because I forgot to add it in :')

Hercules had been at his mom’s house for a week before someone finds him, and he’s not that surprised. He knew his friends would come look for him eventually. What does surprise him, is the fact that Thomas Jefferson is standing in the kitchen when he wakes up.

The Virginian is leaning against the counter, sipping from a mug with a rim that Hercules remembered breaking in third grade. Thomas seems to fill the room just by being in it, but Hercules knows how to play that game. He adjusts his stance to subtly remind Thomas whose house he was in. He was met with a smug smirk and he thinks to how much Alexander hates the prick in front of him.

“What are you doing here?” Hercules demands, annoyance evident in his voice. He’s suddenly aware of how little clothes he’s wearing, standing there in only his boxers and a stained t-shirt that has definitely seen better days, and wishes he grabbed one of his fluffy robes. That might have ruined some of the intimidation vibes he was projecting, but at least he wouldn’t feel like he was in no armor against Master Chief.

“Hello to you too, Mulligan. We’re gonna have a chat, but first, you’re going to drink some coffee because I’d rather have you awake for this.” Thomas holds a different mug out, full of coffee. This one Hercules recognizes as the one he had painted in eighth grade as a Mother’s day gift.

“What make you think I’m going to do anything you say, Jefferson?” Hercules responds, barely keeping the sarcasm from slipping into his tone. Thomas looks unimpressed and Hercules really wants to punch him.

“Because I’m saving your sorry ass from wallowing in self-pity out of the kindness of my heart, that’s why. Now drink up and shut up.” Thomas steps forward and presses the rim of the mug against Hercules’s chapped lips with an expectant look in his eyes. Hercules reluctantly takes the cup from him, downing it as fast as he can. As he drank Thomas played on his phone, occasionally commenting on his Angry Birds score.

“There. I drank. I’m wide awake. Now what the fuck do you want to talk about?” The Irish man asks, putting the mug in the sink. Thomas’s mug follows, and then they’re facing each other. “Well?”

“Lafayette was in my arms crying last night.Told me everything that happened.” Thomas starts, and Hercules’s blood goes cold. He suddenly knows exactly what this is about, and he’s scared for what will come next. “They told me about how they kissed you and then you ran, though we all saw the running, and then they find out that you’ve gone missing and they think it’s their fau-”

“Wait, they think they kissed me? They think that’s why I ran?” Hercules cuts Thomas off with a shocked expression.

Thomas nods, eyebrow raised. “I’m guessing it happened differently from your perspective.”

“Damn right it did! I kissed them, not the other way around. I ran because they have a girlfriend and I’m not going to- I was trying not to ruin things between them and between us just because I can’t get over a little crush.” Hercules took a deep breath, rubbing his arms. “Don’t tell them I told you that.”

  
Thomas grins and holds up his phone, showing Hercules the call in progress screen. The contact name that showed was “Lafayette” and the call time showed that Lafayette had been on the phone since Hercules was drinking. So much for Angry Birds. “Too late.”

 

Hercules doesn’t hesitate to punch him this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahahaaaaaa don't kill me for not updating for a month then ending with a cliff hanger
> 
> Edit: THANK YOU SO MUCH sayyestothesweats FOR CORRECTING SOMETHING <3


	5. Hercules and Laf talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAA i have no idea what im doing with this story
> 
> Chapter dedicated to everyone who commented on the last chapter because I love you all

 

The phone hit the floor with a loud clatter. Hercules was almost sure the screen was cracked, not that he cared at the moment. He was focused on Thomas and his bloody mouth. He steps past the phone, gripping Thomas by the shirt collar and shoving him into the cabinet. He gets grim satisfaction from the way scared eyes meet his own and frantic hands grip his wrist.

 

“For the sake of you leaving here in one piece, that better be a screenshot.” Herc threatens, tightening his grip ever so slightly to emphasize his point.   
  
“Check the phone and find out for yourself, you fucking brute.” Thomas hisses back. Hercules shakes his head with a smile, letting Thomas go. He waits for a breath before shoving him back into the cabinet. 

  
“Do you think I’m fucking joking, Jefferson? I swear to god, I will get my bro-” He hears it. It’s quiet, but he hears it. A thick french accent off-put by the static of a phone call. 

 

“ _ Hercules! Hercules Mulligan, I swear if you can hear me, don’t hurt him! Hercules! _ ” Lafayette sounds like they’re on the verge of tears and Hercules hates every second of it. With shaky hands, he lets go of Thomas, reaching for the phone. The call timer is counting the seconds on a webbed screen. He stares at Lafayette’s name for a moment before putting the phone to his ear.    
  
“Lafayette?” He asks, voice almost a whisper.    
  
“ _ Hercules! Oh merde, please tell me you didn’t hit him too hard.”  _ Lafayette sounds so relieved, and it hurts to hear their voice again.    
  
“Yeah, he’s fine. A little bruised.” He answers, wincing at the sound of what was Thomas no doubt spitting blood into his sink. He moves into the other room with the phone.”Uh...look, I’m sorry you had to hear what I said. I didn’t mean for you to find out like this.” He awkwardly rubs the back of his neck.    
  
“ _ Were you going to keep that from me for our entire lives?” _ Lafayette snaps. Hercules sighs and his chest tightens in anxiety. 

 

“Yes...I’m sorry, Laf. I know you have Adrienne, and that’s awesome and I’m happy for you, but I can’t ignore this shit anymore. I can’t look at you two and…be happy anymore.” He hears Lafayette sigh through the phone and knows it’s coming. Herc closes his eyes, taking a deep breath.“Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.”    
  
“ _ What do you mean?”  _ Lafayette sounds genuinely confused and Hercules chokes out a laugh. Shit, there’s tears in his eyes. 

  
“Don’t give me that, Laf. You know what I mean. What do you want me to do now that you know?” He sits down on the couch, pulling his own phone out from under the cushion. “I don’t care if you want me to stay away entirely.” A lie. “I don’t care if you want me to leave the class we took together.” French, because Lafayette liked their easy credits and Hercules liked being closer to them and the way they smiled when he passed a test. “I don’t care how far I get pushed away, just tell me so I don’t have to guess and make you uncomfortable.”    
  
“ _ I don’t want any of that,”  _ Lafayette says, then pauses. Hercules is silent as well, waiting for how much he’s going to lose his best friend. “ _ In fact, I really wish you weren’t all the way on Long Island right now, because what I really wish for is to explain how much I love you in person. Come back to the city,  _ _ ma lumière.” _ ”


	6. Hercules comes back and leaves again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS DEDICATED TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO COMMENTED ON THE LAST CHAPTER AND IM SORRY IT TOOK ME ALMOST AN ENTIRE MONTH TO GET THIS OUT BUT HEY IT'S AT LEAST A DECENT SIZED CHAPTER SO YEAH I LOVE ALL OF YOU AND I WOULD LOVE YOU EVEN MORE IF YOU TALKED TO ME ON TUMBLR @semoka OR ON TWITTER @semokaboka 
> 
> Special Dedication to iron_america for correcting my french last chapter!!
> 
> (p.s. anyone who tweets "@semokaboka #HerculesAngstMulligan" gets the next chapter dedicated to them specifically~)

Hercules was back in the city the following Monday, his mother understanding that he had to leave and rather happy to know he was going to fix things with Lafayette. Thomas Jefferson had left his house on Friday with a broken nose. Everything was supposed to go great. He was going to go to Lafayette, they were going to laugh at him being an idiot, and then they were going to hold his hands and say they love him and he would respond with his dopey smile and say it back.

  
Everything was supposed to go great.

The first bad thing that happened was the moment he got home. He and Laf weren’t meeting up until later that night, so he went to his dorm room first. The sight that greeted him when he set foot into his dorm was Aaron Burr was crying while Alexander hugged him close and whispered things Herc could barely hear. He caught a few things, something about Thomas Jefferson and James Madison’s relationship. Besides that, he didn’t know. The pair didn’t seem to notice Hercules’ presence, so he quietly dropped his duffle bag by the door and placed his bike helmet on top before making his exit.

The second bad thing that happened to Hercules that day was when he was making his way through campus to talk to all his teachers. He was gone for a week with no notice besides a few poorly worded emails, and he could feel the anxiety clawing at his throat when he approached the first classroom. It was a sewing class that focused majorly on patchwork and was taught by Mrs.Ross. Hercules knew that Mrs.Ross was a very sweet woman and would most likely understand, but he couldn’t get rid of the tight feeling in his chest and throat every time he thought about going in.

After ten minutes or so of contemplation, Hercules sighed and walked away from the classroom with his hands in his pockets and metaphorical tail between his legs. Mrs.Ross was his nicest teacher too, so if he couldn’t handle her right now, he doubted he could handle any of them. After a minute of walking in a random direction, he headed towards the center square. He thought it might be a nice place to relax for a little while until he could go get lunch, as it was still only eleven in the morning.

The square was where the third bad thing happened that day to Hercules Mulligan, and it also happened to be the thing that made him decide it wasn’t worth it to come back. As he walked through the square, he saw Adrienne in the distance. He felt a small pain of guilt in his chest and pulled his hood over his head. He hoped to god she wouldn’t see him and walk over. As he casually veered off the path to cut across the grass and away from her, he risked a glance back. What he saw made him freeze.

There she was, sitting on the edge of the marble fountain in the center of the square.

There Lafayette was, sitting next to her and holding her hands in theirs.

There the couple was laughing.

There the couple was leaning their heads together.

There the couple was quieting their laughter and just smiling at each other.

There the couple was whispering sweet nothings before leaning in for a kiss.

There Hercules was frozen in place watching this happen and feeling the heart that he hesitantly stitched together break in his chest as the broke apart and leaned into each other happily.

Lafayette looked up. Hercules was still staring. They looked at him, squinting. Hercules smiled despite the tears in his eyes. They must have forgotten their contacts. When Lafayette’s looked away quickly to grab their glasses case, Hercules walked away. Back to his dorm, where Aaron and Alex were now sleeping. Back to the parking garage where he strapped his duffle bag to the back of his bike and threw his phone against the ground in his reserved parking spot and took satisfaction in watching it shatter. Back to Long Island and his mother’s welcoming arms as she quieted his sobs and called his brothers.

That night he didn’t sleep and neither did they. They all stayed up watching stand-up comedy on Netflix, and stupid Disney movies when they ran out of comedians they liked. When Cato suggested Hercules, Hugh, and Herc both hit him with pillows simultaneously. This started a pillow fight that lasted until they were all laying on the floor in between the table and the tv, laughing quietly as to not wake their mother up.

Hugh looked at Hercules, smiling. “Go to sleep, mid bro. I'm here to keep the monsters away.” It felt silly for both of them, hearing it said out loud. Hugh hasn’t told him that since he was little and scared of the dark.

Cato jumped over Hercules to tackle Hugh, before grinning at Hercules. “I’ll do that to anyone who messes with you, middle bro.” Hercules laughed, pulling Cato off Hugh and into a short hug.

“Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.” He mumbles, letting go of the squirming Cato. He felt his eyes drooping and barely registered it when Hugh threw a blanket over him, then gave a separate one to Cato before laying on the couch.

When finally did fall asleep as the sun was coming up, his last thought was that he wouldn’t mind staying asleep forever with his brothers protecting him.

At least he knew they loved him.


	7. Hercules Has A Happy Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a happy chapter for once!! 
> 
> Chapter is dedicated to Shiloh Elias (@hamilcorg) from tweeting #HerculesAngstMulligan and is especially dedicated to cait(@magical_cait) for reminding me i have a fanfic in progress. I was focusing a ~certain~ tattoo au that will be post when it's completed in entirety so there's not like two week wait in between chapters. I love all of you who read, leave kudos, and comment!!

When Hercules Mulligan wakes up the next morning, he doesn’t want to be awake anymore. He can hear Cato screaming, Hugh laughing, and his mother scolding them both. Along with the distinct smell of burning eggs, he knew this morning was gonna be a series of unfortunate events.

The first thing he does is sit up, cracking his back. He then stands and makes his way down the hallway and to the bathroom to wash up and relieve himself. After he hears a loud crash, he figures it’s time to make his way to the kitchen. The kitchen was quite the sight. His mother was covered in flour and yelling at his brothers, who were covered in various kitchen ingredients and what better be ketchup on Catos’ forehead. 

“My cake ingredients are not weapons!” Sarah yells, holding a rolling pin threateningly towards the giggling boys. “They are for cooking with!” 

“I don’t think the rolling pan is supposed to be a weapon either, Ma.” Hercules says to announce his presence. Cato runs over to him, hiding behind him with a laugh. 

“Save me! She’s armed and dangerous and old!” Cato screeches, laughing when Sarah throws a spoon and manages to hit Hercules in the forehead. Hercules shakes his head, sighing. 

“I just wanted coffee and you do this to me. I feel betrayed.” He puts a hand on his heart for dramatic effect. Then he catches sight of the Keurig. Well...what used to be a Keurig. Now it looks destroyed. “Nevermind. I’m past betrayed. Someone go get me coffee.” 

 

Hugh gropes around behind him before holding up his car keys triumphantly. “Be right back, lil bro.” He says victoriously, running out of the kitchen. Cato follows, screaming unnecessarily about murderous mothers, making everyone in the household roll their eyes. 

“So. You never explained what actually happened when you went back.” Hercules mother starts to say, laying a gentle hand on his arm. Hercules looks down, feeling the pain in his chest that came with thinking of Lafayette. He knew he would have to tell her, but he knew his brothers would want to know too. Looking back up at his mother, he smiles. “I’ll tell you when Hugh and Cato get back. I’d rather not have to repeat it over and over.” 

Sarah smiles back at him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Whenever you’re ready, Perseus.” 

Hercules groans, rolling his eyes. “Really, Mom? Really?” 

She laughs, making her way out of the kitchen. “Clean this mess up for me, Thor!” 

“You’re lucky you’re my mom!” He calls back, laughing even as he got to work throwing out broken coffee makers and wiping flour off granite counters. Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tweet #PerseusMulligan to @semokaboka on twitter or send an ask to @semoka on tumblr to get the next chapter dedicated to you~

**Author's Note:**

> I should also mention this is extremely un-beta'd so if you notice any mistakes, please tell me.
> 
> Come scream at me on tumblr @semoka 
> 
> Comments fuel my work ethic. Seriously. I got one comment on a drabble and I ended up making a full-length fic with that comment as my fuel.


End file.
